Whiteley at the Byron Bay Brewery
The laughs keep coming at the Byron Brewery with Comedy in the Garden warming up those winter woes.
This month sees Steven J Whiteley take the stage as the Comedy in the Garden headline. Steve has been performing standup comedy for more than 10 years. He’s travelled to every corner of the country, and performed at nearly every major festival Australia has to offer.
His highly successful Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival shows, Natural Born Komedian and *Natural Born Komedian 2 – Born Again*, attracted the attention of Mary Tobin, who asked Steven to compere one of her productions The Best of the Ed Fest, with none other than Stephen K Amos and Ed Byrne.
Steven returned to his hometown of Brisbane in 2004, and quickly started supporting national and international acts including Steady Eddie, Chris Franklin, Greg Fleet, Gary Who and Jimeoin.
He has been described as ‘The Bogan Prince of Comedy’ and his anecdotal tales of growing up and living as a bogan resonate with crowds everywhere, leaving them roaring with laughter. MC is internationally famed comedian, the unstoppable Jonathan Atherton. Just back from another stint in Singapore, this multilingual comic takes the reins on Friday 4 August with a guest appearance by musical comedy sensation and local RAW comedy 2017 winner Vorno.
Friday at 8pm. Free at the Byron Bay Brewery.
Stories in the Club
Mullumbimby has Politics in the Pub and Art in the Pub, and by August there will also be ‘Stories in the Club’. Local award-winning storyteller Jenni Cargill-Strong is hosting and curating the monthly community concert and has teamed up with Jennifer Grainger of the Ngara Institute to co-ordinate the concerts. Jenni’s dream is to use story to deepen our connection to country, as well as strengthening the weave of our community. August tellers will include well-known locals traditional custodian and former screen actor Uncle Athol Compton; activist and actor Tony Barry; writer and performer Shona Anderson; author Graeme Innes as well as the president of Mullumbimby Toastmasters, Louise Harrison.
Jenni will also tell a tale and emcee. September tellers will include beloved longtime local historian, former farmer and Tweed/Byron fire chief Frank Mills and writer and storyteller and Byron Youth Service manager Teeya Blatt. Stories can be factual, fictional or factional – which is a blend of the two. Jenni and Jennifer will aim to have regular stories from Indigenous tellers. Usually, six tellers will get 8–10 mins and, in subsequent months, there will be opportunities for beginner tellers.
Starts Sunday 13 August at the Mullum Ex-Services Club. Price $10/$5. More details at the website www.storytree.com.au/storiesintheclub/
4–5.30pm and for 14 years and over.
Writers at the Rails Turns 25!
On this Writers Festival weekend the Bay’s iconic spoken-word show Writers at the Rails will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Since the first show, hosted by Nimbin poet David Hallett in 1992, scores of local and visiting poets have featured their work, along with book launches and popular poetry slams.
Festival guest poet Arielle Cottingham, winner of the 2016 Australian Poetry Slam, will feature alongside host Hallett, together with a carousel of invited and open readings, and a poetry slam. Sunday 2pm. Entry is free.
Writing on the Wall
Art Piece Gallery present a literary-themed exhibition The Writings on the Wall. The eclectic collection of works on and of paper, by more than a dozen artists who reveal what the writings on the wall means to them. Opening at the Mullumbimby gallery on Friday at 6pm. All welcome.
Artists Getting it Write
Byron Writers Festival and Byron School of Art are excited to announce a collaborative exhibition of artists books titled The Image Unbound. This exhibition offers insight into the ways artists deconstruct our understanding of how books carry meaning and what actually constitutes a book. On show at the Lone Goat Gallery until Wednesday.
Truth and Lies
Celebrate the winners of the 2017 Dangerously Poetic Byron Writers Festival Poetry Prize! Free music and poetry will be presented at the Byron Bay Library over 3.30–5pm on Saturday, as part of the Byron Writers Festival.
The national poetry competition on the theme of Truth and Lies attracted entries from every state. Enjoy a feature reading by competition judge Heather Taylor Johnson, author of four books of poetry.
Meanwhile, The Oak is her latest. Heather is the editor of Shaping the Fractured Self: Poetry of Chronic Illness and Pain; was the poetry co-editor of Wet Ink magazine for its six-year stint, and is currently the poetry editor of the academic journal Transnational Literature.
The dynamic a capella quintet Eclecticus will also perform. Formed eight years ago and directed by Anita Kuhn, its name reflects the eclectic mix of musical styles in their repertoire. Heather will give the judge’s report followed by a reading of the winning poems. All welcome.
Pitch the Publisher
Pitch the Publisher is the book launch of Abroad, Broke & Busted, a compilation of Byron authors’ travel tales compiled by Matt Towner. They have already received lots of manuscripts and short stories for the literary agency and international publisher Alan Whiticker, with more stories by local Byron and visiting writers to be pitched to Alan on the night.
Any more full manuscripts or short stories can be emailed in advance to [email protected] and bookings for our Pitch the Publisher event must be made in advance at www.byroncentre.com.au or by phoning 6685 6807. $50 covers this one-off opportunity and a copy of Abroad, Broke & Busted. From 5pm on Monday at the Byron Community Centre.
Dog Show
Have you got an attractive pooch? Maybe you’ve got a character dog? As you know there is a new council minimum of two dogs per person in the Shire and those dogs must be taken out at all times. So here’s your chance to shine: be part of the Best in Bruns dog show at the Brunswick Picture House on Sunday, followed by a screening of Marley and Me! 2pm. More info and tickets on brunswickpicturehouse.com.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
